Minister Foley and Minister Higgins announce recipients of the Power to Participate: Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement Fund 2026
- From: Department of Children, Disability and Equality
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The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, and the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Emer Higgins, today announced the successful recipients of the Power to Participate: Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement Fund 2026.
Established by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality the Fund is providing up to €750,000 to Disabled Persons’ Organisations (DPOs) and civil society organisations advocating for disabled people.
The funding is designed to strengthen organisations’ capacity to engage strategically with Government in the delivery of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030.
The Fund supports a key commitment of the Strategy to establish and embed meaningful participation and stakeholder engagement across Government, ensuring that disabled people and their representative organisations have a strong voice in the development, implementation and monitoring of policies and services that affect their lives.
Congratulating the successful recipients, Minister Foley said:
“I am pleased to announce up to €750,000 from the Power to Participate Fund to help support organisations that work every day to represent the voices and experiences of disabled people across Ireland and thereby shaping the policies and services that affect their lives. I want to thank all Disabled Persons’ Organisations and civil society organisations advocating for disabled people and I look forward to continuing to work with them on progressing the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People.”
Also commending the organisations involved Minister Higgins said:
“The National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People commits us to building a stronger and more inclusive framework for engagement with disabled people and their representative organisations. The Fund supports organisations to enhance their capacity, strengthen advocacy and engagement, and contribute to the delivery of the Strategy’s ambitions over the coming years. I congratulate all of the successful applicants and look forward to seeing the impact of their work.”
By supporting greater participation and engagement by a wide range of organisations, the fund will help advance Ireland’s implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and strengthen the direct involvement of disabled people in decisions affecting their lives. The range of groups being funded include local grassroots organisations, as well as organisations with nationwide reach, cross-impairment groups, and groups that focus on advancing the rights of people with intellectual disabilities, disabled women, autistic people, and the deaf community.
| Organisation | Amount | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Sligo Disabled Persons’ Organisation (DPO) |
€7,350 | Sligo |
| DADA (Disabled Artists, Disabled Academics) |
€7,500 | Nationwide |
| Disability Power Ireland |
€7,500 | Nationwide |
| Organisation | Amount | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Disability Federation of Ireland |
€70,000 | Nationwide |
| Neurodiversity Ireland |
€79,000 | Nationwide |
| Disabled Women Ireland |
€96,523 | Nationwide |
| The National Platform of Self Advocates CLG |
€122,900 | Nationwide |
| Independent Living Movement Ireland |
€81,100 | Nationwide |
| AsIAm | €67,500 | Nationwide |
| Inclusion Ireland |
€61,000 | Nationwide |
| Irish Deaf Society |
€74,621 | Nationwide |
| Organisation | Amount | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Independent Living Movement Ireland and Donegal DPO |
€3,670 | Donegal |
| Independent Living Movement Ireland and Mayo DPO |
€4,300 | Mayo |
| Independent Living Movement Ireland and Sligo DPO |
€9,875 | Sligo |
| Independent Living Movement Ireland and Tipperary DPO |
€6,550 | Tipperary |